Julián Álvarez did not smile. And in football, that is also a way of speaking.
In 2024 and 2025, he had posed for Atlético de Madrid’s official photo with a broad smile, like any player happy at his club. This time, for the 2026/27 season, he stared straight at the camera without moving a muscle in his face. The contrast did not go unnoticed: within minutes, the image was flooded with comparisons and memes on social media.
The gesture came just after he asked to leave for Barcelona during the 2026 World Cup and the club declared him non-transferable. Enrique Cerezo and Diego Simeone shut the door on any negotiations, and to make matters worse, they left him out of the squad for the league debut against Málaga. Álvarez has a contract through 2030 and a €490 million release clause. The market closes on September 1, and everyone in Madrid is wondering whether that serious photo was the silent farewell of a player who already feels on his way out ⏳